Lathander
Commander of Creativity Inspiration's Dawn The Rose-and-Gold God | symbol = | aspects = Amaunator | power = | status = | primordial = | pantheon = Faerûnian pantheon | home = | formerhomes = | serves = | servedby = | minions = | gender = Masculine | died = | dominion = | formerdominion = | realm = | sphere = | portfolio = | domains = | spheres = | worshipers = | cleric alignments = | favored weapon = | holy days = | channel divinity = | mortalhomes = | apotheosis = | alignment = | class = | power5e = | alignment5e = Neutral good | symbol5e = Road traveling into a sunrise | homeplane5e = | realm5e = | serves5e = | servedby5e = | portfolio5e = Dawn, renewal | domains5e = Life, Light | worshipers5e = Merchants, travelers | cleric alignments5e = | channel divinity5e = Preserve life Radiance of the dawn | holy days5e = | class5e = | refs5e = | power4e = | alignment4e = | symbol4e = | dominion4e = | realm4e = | serves4e = | servedby4e = | sphere4e = | domains4e = | worshipers4e = | cleric alignments4e = | channel divinity4e = | holy days4e = | class4e = | refs4e = | power3e = Greater deity | alignment3e = Neutral good | symbol3e = Sunrise made of pink, red, and yellow gems | homeplane3e = House of Nature | realm3e = Morninglory | serves3e = | servedby3e = | portfolio3e = Athletics, birth, creativity, dawn, renewal, self-perfection, spring, vitality, youth | domains3e = Chastity, Glory, Good, Nobility, Protection, Renewal, Strength, Sun, Zeal | worshipers3e = Aristocrats, artists, athletes, merchants, Sun Soul monks, the young | cleric alignments3e = | favored weapon3e = "Dawnspeaker" (light or heavy mace) | holy days3e = Any dawn, Midsummer morning, the equinoxes | class3e = | refs3e = | power2e = Greater deity | alignment2e = Neutral good | symbol2e = A simple rosy pink disk | homeplane2e = Elysium/Eronia | realm2e = Morninglory | serves2e = | servedby2e = | portfolio2e = Athletics, birth, creativity, dawn, renewal, self-perfection, spring, vitality, youth | spheres2e = All, Astral, Charm, Creation, Elemental, Healing, Necromantic,Only the restorative versions of reversible spells. Plant, Thought, Sun, Wards, Weather minor: Combat, Divination, Guardian, Time | worshipers2e = Widely popular with merchants, peasants, farmers, nobility, artists, authors, athletes, etc. | cleric alignments2e = | holy days2e = Any dawn, Midsummer morning, the equinoxes | class2e = | refs2e = | power1e = Greater deity | alignment1e = Neutral good | symbol1e = A rosy pink wooden disk | homeplane1e = Elysium | realm1e = | serves1e = | servedby1e = | portfolio1e = Beginnings, conception, dawn, eternal youth, renewal, self-perfection, spring, vitality | worshipers1e = | cleric alignments1e = | holy days1e = | class1e = | refs1e = | animals = | plants = | monsters = | minerals = | colors = | misc manifestations = | manifestation refs = | rules = }} Lathander ( ), whose title was The Morninglord, was a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality and youth. He favored those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies. Some saw him as the neutral good aspect of Amaunator but the two were considered separate deities again after the Second Sundering. History Lathander was the central figure in the Dawn Cataclysm, an ill-fated attempt by the Morninglord to reshape the Faerûnian pantheon in his own image. Several deities were killed in the events that followed, including the goddess Murdane, a death for which Helm never forgave Lathander. The Morninglord believed that his efforts went so wrong because of the interference of agents of Shar, and secretly began working on a second attempt at reforming the pantheon. In 916 DR, Lathander, enraged with the unchanging, tyrannical, undead-centric philosophy of the Cult of the Dragon, sent an avatar to Cormanthyr to personally do battle with Sammaster during a Harper raid. He destroyed Sammaster but was wounded in the battle. In 1345 DR, Lathander's worshipers, along with those of Selûne, Shar, and Tempus were involved in religious unrest, culminating in the Night of Temple Fires. At some point between the Time of Troubles and the end of the Spellplague, Lathander disappeared and was replaced by the resurrected Amaunator, presumably confirming the truth of the theory that the two were one and the same. Moreover, the formerly lawful neutral Amaunator had apparently inherited the goodness of Lathander, as he became lawful good. Lathander, however, returned during the events of Second Sundering in 1486 DR, thanks to the effort of his Chosen and prophet Stedd Whitehorn. However, by the year 1491 DR, Amaunator and Lathander were once again worshiped as separate beings. It is unknown if they were actually separate beings by this time or if Lathander was simply granting spells to the followers of Amaunator. Relationships Lathander and Chauntea had been romantically connected for centuries, and saw each other as kindred spirits. His allies included Gond, Tymora, Tyr, Torm, Ilmater, Sune, Selûne, Oghma, Kelemvor, and Mielikki. His foes were Cyric, Talos, and Shar. Helm held a great deal of resentment for Lathander, as the latter indirectly caused the death of Helm's lover, Murdane. Worshipers Novices in the Lathanderian faith were called the Awakened, while clerics were known as Dawnbringers. The full priests took a new name in his service when they were ready to signify that Lathander personally recognized and accepted them. This new name could either be used instead of their old name or simply used only when addressing other Dawnbringers and when in solitary prayer. Other titles included (in ascending order): Dawngreeter, Dawnlord, High Dawnlord, and Dawnmaster, while an elite cleric was referred to as a Morninglord. All followers were required to be of neutral to good alignment. All of Lathander's clergy respected art, liberty, nature, and culture; promoted betterment of oneself; and strove to bring hope to their followers and others. Many of these followers worked in various creative arts. They were intolerant of evil, especially undead and inaction that caused evil to prosper. Most ceremonies of Lathander were held at dawn and actions and contracts agreed to at sunrise were said to be blessed by him. Funerals, among his followers, were held at dusk, and followed by a wake that lasted until dawn. Some followers of Lathander insisted that he was in fact the reincarnation of Amaunator, the Netherese god of the sun. Others took this heresy further, claiming that he would take up the mantle of the lawful neutral Amaunator again, and that the transformation from deity of the morning to sun god was imminent. Temples * Eveningstar: In 1372 DR, there was a large temple located in Eveningstar. * Lathander's Light: In Dagger Falls, the temple of Lathander there was rebuilt in 1372 DR after the Zhents burnt it down during their occupation of Daggerdale. * Spires of the Morning: A grand temple to Lathander in Waterdeep at the northern spur of Mount Waterdeep. * Morninglow Tower: The largest temple in Daggerford, it shared the hill with the ducal castle and was directly supported by the duke. * Rhyester's Matins: This major temple in Silverymoon had a ceiling and wall made of glassteel. * Song of the Morning: In 1368 DR, there was a major temple to Lathander in Beregost, dominating the town. Orders * Order of the Aster: A small restricted order of paladins and fighters sponsored by the church of Lathander. * Order of the Sun Soul: A monastic brotherhood with links to Sune and Selûne as well. Prophets * Rhyester of Silverymoon Favored sayings * "From death, life." * "There is always another dawn." * "In the dawn, beauty reigns, and the way is clearer." Appendix Notes Appearances ;Video Games: * Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor References Connections de:Lathander Category:Faerûnian pantheon Category:Clerics Category:Fighters Category:Divine champions Category:Aspects Category:Neutral good deities Category:Greater deities Category:Chastity domain deities Category:Glory domain deities Category:Good domain deities Category:Life domain deities Category:Light domain deities Category:Nobility domain deities Category:Protection domain deities Category:Renewal domain deities Category:Strength domain deities Category:Sun domain deities Category:Zeal domain deities Category:Human deities Category:Inhabitants of Eronia Category:Inhabitants of Elysium Category:Inhabitants of the Outer Planes Category:Inhabitants of the Great Wheel planes Category:Inhabitants of the House of Nature Category:Inhabitants of the Neutral Planes Category:Inhabitants of the World Tree planes Category:Good mantle deities Category:Life mantle deities Category:Light and darkness mantle deities Category:Time mantle deities Category:Inhabitants of masculine gender